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Poster: ColdRain108 Date: Nov 16, 2020 9:21am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: how do you dead ?

In my studio I use parts of my live sound PA. Alesis Masterlink for my HD and CD player. I run it all through an Allen&Heath mixer ->Mackie 450 powered mains and I use my bass rig as my subwoofer (Eden WT800 + Aguilar 12 and Bergantino 15 speakers). This will give one a "live sound", which is what this music is all about, by live sound I mean as loud and as percussive as the real thing. The neighbors think the band is playing when I get it rolling (when my wife is not home). Ear protection may be required as this rig can get unbelievably loud! Chest thumping!

I have a home listening system as well, Denon CD player, Parasound Power Amp, Naim pre-amp, Mirage 890i tower speakers. Sounds very pretty and cultured.

I drive between SEA and PDX to take care of my Mom, the car system is adequate and I get some focused listening time, this is when I learn the songs.

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Poster: Monte B Cowboy Date: Nov 17, 2020 9:30pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: how do you dead ?

I was blown away the first time I saw and heard a soundman wirelessly operating his band's monitor and PA systems via settings from an App on his iPad. He had full control of the mixers and amps. It was paired over bluetooth to the band's highend audio gear that was mounted in a rack on the back of the stage. Four or five of the players had effects boxes arrayed on the floor similar to yours. I saw them play in a small venue nearby me that I'm familiar with. The band plugged their audio rack's output into the house PA and monitors, bypassing the house PA mixer altogether. It was about 8 years ago. They blew the house down. I'd never seen or heard anything like it in that place. Whenever he wanted, the soundman was able to walk around anywhere on stage or in the house while adjusting the PA or monitors. Plus he had numerous mixer setups tweaked to perfection and stored. He called them up just by tapping on his iPad. He said one of the band member's dad forked over a wad of startup money for all that gear, etc. Must be nice! They were a pretty damned good jam band. Their sound was excellent. I was really impressed.

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Poster: ColdRain108 Date: Nov 23, 2020 9:25am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: how do you dead ?

I know a guy who runs a system like that. They are a big musical troupe from India. He is a German guy with bottomless pockets, Meyer Sound arrays and a really nice automated soundboard that he can control from his I pad. They play pretty large rooms, the ballroom at the Hyatt in downtown Bellevue when they roll through our area. A couple of years ago they played the hockey arena in Everett. I help him with small gear and overflow room sound reinforcement with my rig.

My issue with regular soundmen at local venues is that we play Dead not rock and roll. The silence is just as important as the sound. Our band needs a full time soundman when we return to action, I find it very difficult to play and run sound at the same time, I've been doing it for a long time now. Was easier when I was just the bass player and only doing backup vocals, but now I'm the front man and the lead guitar. Too much on my plate.

Funny as I used my soundman experience in my last job interview. I was asked how I would deal with a room full of college student getting impatient because a microscope was having an issue...I responded with "I've had to deal with a room full of drunk music fans getting noisily restless while I trace down 50 wires trying to find the one that is failing." And the college students are actually hoping I fail to solve the problem so they can get out of class...not so much with the drunk bar crowd.

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Poster: Monte B Cowboy Date: Nov 23, 2020 12:11pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: how do you dead ?

"The silence is just as important as the sound" (for PA sound in a GD band). Dynamic Range. Performers use it to create fantastic sounding arrangements. Rule #1. Thanks for mentioning that.

The fact that you "find it very difficult to play and run sound at the same time" is exactly how and why I was able to learn about bands and gigs, get my soundman jobs, get into electronics, and become the person I am today. I kept doubling down on everything. I was taping more shows. I was spending most of my time with musicians and bands. In my mind, the GD built me, or at least they launched my career. That's how I made it here.

When I left home and moved far away from where I grew up, it was because I moved in with my musician friend as a roommate. He had just joined a great band and moved far away too. I helped run sound for the band while I was there. Later on I helped the band fix up an old school bus they had. We went to gigs in that school bus with me driving. I was versatile. The band fell apart after six months and I moved away.

I had also been getting into electronics and vocational schools at that time. Then I got my first technical professional job in a TV station. This was 45 years ago. At the time, I was a roommate and soundman living in a musician's rooming house in Louisville. Six months later their band had a major rebellion and they formed a new band. They asked me to be their soundman full time. I quit my full time job and I invested my life's savings to purchase sound equipment for the band, starring Vince Gill and John Jump as lead vocalists and frontmen. Less than six months later it was over. Thanks to The Archive for hosting my tapes, photos, and descriptions of this era.

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Poster: ColdRain108 Date: Nov 23, 2020 1:25pm
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: how do you dead ?

I repair microscopes, HPLC's, -80 Freezers and other high end scientific equipment. I am called the wizard here at work - because most bench level scientists don't have much mechanical ability - "is it plugged in?" is not a joke question. I can do faith healing for machines.

I jokingly say I now get paid for what I always got in trouble for as a kid- if the radio broke I took it apart and tried to fix it. Most times I was unsuccessful so I got blamed for breaking it. Now I get to fiddle with 100,000$ pieces of gear.

I have collected my PA through ebay. I have 4 JBL 15" powered speakers, 2 Mackie 450's and 2 Mackie 350's. I also have a couple of non-powered EV floor monitors and a couple of power amps. A nice Allen&Heath mixmaster board. I worked in the BioTech field in the 90's and invested my stock option bonuses in musical gear. I even have one of the original WOS speaker cabinets with a 15" JBL.



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